ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · clip · snap · rash · pitch · fall · pound · face

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fall — the season
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pound — a weight
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com